Pokémon Anthology Saga 1 - Kinsei
by Shadowchaos1010
Summary: York Mathers is the son of Heiwa League Champion, Tison Mathers. Inspired by his father's actions, York sets out on a journey to eventually overtake his father. His first step is to conquer the Kinsei Region, his home. With his partner, A Pawniard named Colonel, and his best friend, Sydney Collins, York begins the journey that will change his life forever.
1. Chapter 1 - The Journey Begins

**This work, Pokémon Anthology is going to be a five part series following the journey of the main character, York Mathers. Each region, or saga, is going to be its own separate story, hence the "Saga 1" in the story's title.**

 **I'd really appreciate if readers give their feedback on the story or submit ideas relating to things in the Pokémon community, like theories and the like, since I might make chapters surrounding them at one point.**

 **Chapter 1: The Journey Begins!**

The world of Pokémon is a large and wonderful place. Far and wide, Pokémon roam, the kings of the earth. For millennia, humans and Pokémon have lived together in harmony, playing together, working together, and battling together. Starting at the tender age of ten, people are allowed to begin journeying around the world with a Pokémon at their side. For some, their goal is to simply travel and see the world, while others seek for glory through Pokémon Contests and their regional Pokémon League. Being side by side like this helps Pokémon and their trainers grow into better individuals, the best examples being Top Coordinators and Pokémon League Champions.

Kinsei is one of the five regions in the world, with the others being Monteir, Regulus, Natura and Heiwa. From the small town of Mira, in southern Kinsei, hails the champion of the Heiwa League, Tison Mathers. In the coastal town, his thirteen year old son, York, is preparing to set out on his own Pokémon journey, inspired by his father's actions.

In the Mathers family's beachside house, the teenager stood in front of his mirror, looking over himself. He stood in black jeans and a red short sleeved shirt. On the dresser that was next to the mirror lay a two tone white and blue vest as well as black fingerless gloves. A belt with a single Pokéball latched to it was there as well. He slipped them all on and nodded contently. He reached down and picked up a pair of black and blue boots, sitting down on his bed before putting them on.

The door swung open slowly. A Pawniard hung on the knob, and hopped off once the door was fully open. It happily cried at York and ran over to him. It began excitedly pointing at the open door, and was met with a slightly quizzical look. It groaned and shook it's head.

"What's the matter, Colonel?" He asked, head tilted.

A girl a few years younger than York walked into the doorway. "Bro, Sydney's here! And she's not happy."

York stood and ruffled his dirty blonde hair. "What is she upset about this time?"

"You're late. it's 4:30 now. You were supposed to meet her at noon." The girl looked at him with disappointment.

"What?!" He quickly turned towards his clock, which indeed read 4:30 PM. "Why didn't she call me?!" He grabbed a blue and black one strap backpack off of his bed and ran past her, down the stairs with his Pawniard following closely behind.

"Your Pokégear is broken and you never told her about it! She couldn't get in touch with you!" Called his sister.

He reached the ground floor of his house and saw his mother standing with a girl of his age in the dining room. The girl's hands were stuffed in the pockets of a black zip up hoodie. Her blonde hair was tied in a ponytail and underneath a baseball cap. A Pink Pokégear was peaking out of the pocket of her blue shorts.

Upon hearing his footsteps, the girl turned and glared at him. "There you are, you idiot. What took you so long?"

"I'm sorry." He meekly said. "I didn't mean to get so sidetracked. Why'd it take you four hours to come check up on me?"

"Our rendezvous point was an hour away from our houses. I got on the bus but the like, fifteen minute ride, turned out to be nearly three hours because of a stupid accident and a huge traffic jam!" She stomped over to him and grabbed his collar. "I lost so much of my time because of you! You'd better be ready to make up for it one day!"

"Y-yeah, I'll make it up to you!" He told her. She let him go. "So, you're ready to go?"

She took a red and white messenger bag off of a chair in the dining room and slung it over her shoulder. "Of course I'm ready, you idiot! Because of you, we might not make it to Emeras City before we're forced to book a hotel room! I wanted to look around the city a bit." She walked to her door and put her hand on the doorknob. "Hurry up!"

He followed after her and his mother tossed a wallet over to him. "Be safe, honey!" She called. "If Nancy gets upset again, I'll be sure to calm her down, so don't worry!"

"Thanks, mom!" He caught the wallet and put it in his pocket. He took the Pokéball off of his belt and pointed it towards Colonel. The red beam of light enveloped the small Pokémon, storing it inside of the capsule. York followed Sydney out of the door and closed it after himself. Sydney was waiting for him on the sidewalk, tapping her foot impatiently. "I'm _really_ sorry about that, Syd! I meant to get there on time, I swear!"

"Whatever." She continued to walk as soon as he reached her. "I don't know what else I was expecting. After all of these years, I should've known you'd be late. You're never on time; _ever_."

He sped in front of her and turned around to face her. "I know, I know! There's just so much other stuff going on and I get too excited to pay attention to the time!"

"That's the same excuse you always give me." She said, punching his arm and walking ahead of him. "You'd better change that, or else you'll die alone. You're not likely to find a girl that won't hate that about you."

He rubbed his pained arm. "Since when did you care about my love life?" He asked, jokingly.

"I won't be able to babysit you forever. Your mom can't, either. If you can't find a woman to help you later in life, I'm almost afraid to imagine what would happen. Almost." Her voice was flat and uninterested. "And one more thing." She looked over her shoulder. "This is going to be the last time in a while I ride a bus, so just shut up and let me enjoy it."

"Yeah, sure. You sure you didn't forget anything?"

Sydney nodded. "I got all of my clothes, money, and tech. Brush and Copy are more than ready, and I have my equipment as well."

York stared at her messenger bag in wonder. "You fit all of that in there?"

She groaned and remained silent for a moment. "I sent it ahead to the Emeras Pokémon Center. I'm picking it up when we arrive. Did you find us a hotel?"

He nodded. "The Emerald Sky Hotel is one of the most popular in Southeastern Kinsei! Some of the reviews compare it to the ones in Dawnseal!"

"Impressive." Sydney chuckled. "Now, assuming that you get all eight badges before the next Kinsei League Conference, you might be able to confirm that. Will the place bleed us dry?" York's eyes widened and he chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. Sydney stopped and faced him, causing him to stop in his tracks as well. "York? How expensive is this place?" She was glaring daggers at him.

"A one night room is about 20,000 Pokédollars." He answered nervously. When Sydney didn't answer he gulped and stepped towards her. "Syd…?"

The girl was breathing heavily and clenched her fists. She lowered the brim of her hat over her eyes. "You're lucky you're my best friend. Or else I'd sock you again. That's a decent chunk of our supply fund."

"Don't worry, Syd!" He said, full of energy in an attempt to cheer her up. "It's ancient tradition for trainers to reward the victor of a battle! I'll make up for that in no time!"

"There are a few holes in your plan. I'm not pointing them out for you." She continued walking and he lagged behind, sorry for angering her.

The streets were crowded with beachgoers and tourists. The congested streeted slowed the two down a bit, and they eventually reached the Houndoom Bus Station, a national bus service. The pair boarded the 5:30 PM bus and sat next to each other. Sydney looked outside of the window, while York sat in silence, looking down at his cupped hands.

"Are you nervous at all?" Sydney spoke once the bus had left Mira Town. "About going on this journey."

"To be honest, I am a little bit. Leaving home for so long to go all over the place seems a little crazy, but we'll get used to it."

"Even if we do, there are still all sorts of things that could go wrong. We could get lost in the woods, mauled by a Pokémon, scooped up by some creep in a city…"

"It's not like you to get so worried about something, Syd. What's up?"

"I've already had to leave behind one home. It's a little tough to do it again." She sighed.

"Y'know, you don't have to stick with me the entire time." York's father had traveled through five regions before he became the champion of Heiwa. He had planned to do the same. Sydney volunteered to go along with him.

"I'm going to!" She said forcefully. "Like I said, you need someone watching you or else you'd probably just walk into a pit! Besides, when else would I get the opportunity to travel the world? There are so many photographers that want to do that but just can't!"

"You're actually worried about me, aren't you, Syd?" York teased. "That's why you're sticking with me."

She blushed faintly and lowered her hat over her face. "I said to let me enjoy this last bus ride in peace! Just shut up already!"

York laughed to himself and reclined in his seat.

* * *

Darkness had fell upon Emeras City when the Houndoom Bus pulled into the station. It was now 11:30 at night, and the passengers began to file out through the doors. Sydney vigorously shook York, who had fallen asleep.

He stood slowly and followed her off of the bus, rubbing his eyes. "We're finally here." He looked at Sydney, who was frowning. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing. I might be able to take a few pictures before we leave tomorrow, but I'm not sure." She began to leave the station. "Come on, you're the one who knows how to get to the hotel."

The streets of the biggest city in Southeastern Kinsei were lit by black decorative street lamps. The streets were mainly empty, with only a few people wandering them. Emerald green lights were emanating from one of the buildings, signaling the Emerald Sky Hotel. Sydney looked up at it and sighed in relief. York joined her and did the same.

She took a step towards her, but York grabbed her wrist. "What's your problem, York! We're finally here! And check in time is nearly over!"

"I just thought I heard a scream." He told her. He gestured to across the street, near an alleyway. "Let's check it out quick."

She ripped her hand free from his grip. " _You_ can go! Just hurry up! I'll tell them I'm waiting for you. Be sure to tell that that you're York Mathers and that you came with Sydney Collins, alright?"

"I'll be sure to do that." He ran across the street, leaving his friend to enter the hotel. He found a woman on the ground, motionless. "Hey!" He called. "Are you okay?"

The woman moaned and looked up at him. "Who…?"

"What happened?" He asked. "Are you alright?"

She held her head. "Some man robbed me." She pointed to the east. "He went that way."

"I'm on it!" Cried York as he stood. "You can make it to the Emerald Sky on your own, right?" She weakly nodded. "Okay, get them to call the police. I'll be back with the crook soon enough!"

He ran off in the direction she indicated, but the woman called out to him. "Wait!" When he didn't answer, she sighed and stood, using a wall as a support. "What is that kid thinking? I hope he'll be alright." Still holding onto her head she trudged across the street to the Emerald Sky.

York ran east like the woman said and turned the corner, thinking the purse-snatcher would have in hopes of getting out of sight. He sent out Colonel and ordered him to help him search as well. The two silently searched the area, looking into alleyways as well as out in the open. The only sound was that of Kricketot and Kricketune, chirping through the night. It did not take long for the Pawniard to signal his trainer, who rushed to his side. The two saw a man climbing a fence in an alley, a pink purse slung on his shoulder.

York knelt next to Colonel. "Try to knock him down, okay?"

The Pokémon nodded and took off, when he had nearly ran to the end of the alley, he leapt and slashed at the man's arm, knocking it off of the fence and making him lose balance, falling down onto the ground. Colonel ran to the middle of the alley, facing the man.

He got up and cursed. "You stupid little Pokémon!" He saw York standing in the back. "You're it's trainer?" He chuckled. "A kid like you? This is weak! Isn't it a little past your bedtime, small fry?"

"Hand over the purse!" York commanded. "If you do, this will go over more smoothly for both of us."

"You think I'll listen to a kid like you?!" He took a Pokéball out of his pocket. "I'd just kick the crap outta you, but on the off chance I get caught, that would make things worse for me. So I'll crush you in a Pokémon Battle instead." He tossed the ball, and a Drowzee emerged. "Alright, Drowzee, let's take this kid out!"

York chuckled. "Normally, I'd be nervous, since this is one of my first actual battles, but I'm fine!"

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Barked the man.

"Unless you taught your Drowzee a T.M, the only moves it can learn that can harm Dark Types, like Colonel, are Pound and Headbutt. It that's all you have, you might as well give up." He sounded quite smug. "So, what're you gonna do?"

"Drowzee, Poison Gas!" The Psychic Type inhaled deeply and exhaled a gaseous purple mist that drifted towards Colonel.

"Just in case it lands a hit, use Iron Defense! Follow it up with Night Slash!" Colonel focused and the metal on it's body began to shine and harden. It then immediately began charging towards Drowzee, going right through the gas.

"Swagger, Drowzee!" The Pokémon began waving it's arm and emitting a hypnotic wave, which caused Pawniard's orange eyes to tint red.

It continued to charge, but ran right past it. Drowzee began to headbutt Pawniard, but York watched from the sidelines, knowing full well the attacks had little effect on Colonel. Eventually the confusion wore off, and while Drowzee was going to attack, it's two blade arms became enveloped in a dark aura and it slashed, dealing massive damage to the psychic type Pokémon, causing it to fall over.

Colonel turned to the man and began walking towards him. He began backing away, until he was against a wall.

"Get Drowzee back in it's Pokéball and come with us." York ordered.

* * *

The police had arrested the purse-snatcher, and the woman thanked York for getting her purse back. Colonel was back inside of his Pokéball resting and York was tired himself. He approached the counter and the young woman working their addressed him.

"Welcome to the Emerald Sky Hotel. Will you be staying with us today, sir?"

"Yes. I'm York Mathers. My friend Sydney Collins stopped by earlier and booked us a room."

"Ah, yes." She handed him a card key. "This is the extra key to your room. You are in #225 on the second floor. Enjoy your stay."

"Thank you."

"I must say, your girlfriend is quite cute."

"Huh? Oh, no, she isn't my girlfriend."

She gestured for him to come closer and she leaned over to him. "Our hotel is quite popular among young couples. There's a secret compartment on the right side of the nightstand that has plenty of T.M17 if you need them!"

York blushed and pushed the up button on the elevator. He proceeded to his room with nothing but sleeping on his mind, doing his best to purge the employee's comment from his mind.

He entered his room to find it pitch black. He walked in without turning on the light and noticed a lump on the right bed. He threw his backpack and vest onto the ground and threw himself onto the left bed, allowing himself to drift into sleep.


	2. Chapter 2 - Setup

**Chapter 2: Setup**

Sydney awoke to the sound of running water. She rubbed her eyes and sat up, leaning against the headboard of her bed. "I slept really well last night…" She stood and stretched. The door to the bathroom opened, and York emerged with a yawn. "Hey."

He sat on his bed. "Morning. We got a little time before check out. Wanna grab some breakfast downstairs, or do you wanna go buy something?"

"We spent 20,000 Pokédollars on this!" She exclaimed. "I'm not spending money on something we could get here!"

"Syd," She looked over at York, who looked towards the ground. "Do you think that we'd make a good couple?"

Sydney narrowed her eyes. "You have three seconds to explain yourself before I pummel you." She quietly warned.

"The receptionist said that yesterday." He awkwardly explained. "She even told me to check the right side of the nightstand." Sydney reached towards it, and York reached out towards her. "Hold on, Syd!"

She opened it and looked inside for a moment, her face growing red. She slammed it shut and looked over at them. "Why did she tell you about those?!"

"What kind of question is that? She thought we were going out! Why else would she tell me about them?"

"L-let's just eat breakfast and get out of here! I want to get all of our stuff as soon as possible! I'm going to take a shower, so get me something to eat when you're down there!" She rushed into the bathroom and slammed the door.

York sauntered over to the nightstand and opened the secret compartment. Something immediately caught his eye. He rummaged through the compartment's contents and took out a cased CD. "There's an actual T.M for Protect in here." He closed the compartment and slipped the T.M into his bag. "No reason to leave this here. Now, time for some breakfast!"

* * *

Sydney took the final bite of the donut that York had brought her from the Emerald Sky's breakfast bar. The two teens were en route to the Emeras City Pokémon Center, where Sydney had a package waiting. From there the two would go to the local Pokémon Lab where the owner, Professor Archer Richards, had something for them.

The two buildings were close to each other and the two reached their destination in a short amount of time. Sydney approached the counter, where a blonde woman in a nurse's uniform stood.

"Good morning, how may I help you?" She asked.

"I'm here to pick up a package for Sydney Collins." The woman went to the back room of the Pokémon Center and returned with a box, handing it to Sydney. "Thank you." She walked over to one of the couches that was in the Pokémon Center, resting the box in her lap.

York sat on a bean bag chair next to her. "That box seems a bit small." He said. "Is everything you need in there?"

"I made sure that everything was here. Just because the box looks small doesn't mean there's not a lot in it." She opened it and pulled out a large black bag. Inside of the bag was a professional camera. A wide smiled crossed Sydney's face. "Perfect!" She set it next to herself and took a charger attached to a small solar panel.

"What's that for?" Asked York, leaning in for a better look.

"It's a solar charger. Since we're gonna be hoofing it the entire time, I'm going to need a way to charge the camera outdoors. That's what this is for." She set that aside and pulled out several SD Cards. "Nice! With all of these, I'll be able to take a bunch of pictures!" She put everything back, except for the camera. "Get comfy, York. It might take a while for me to get used to this thing."'

It wasn't long until Sydney announced that she was ready to go. She slung the camera bag over her other shoulder, now carrying two bags. York stood from his seat and followed her out. While the lab was quite far from the Pokémon Center, it was a distinct building and hard to miss.

Mira Town was crowded when the two had left because of the plethora of people who visit during the summer. Emeras City was even more crowded, but there was no reason for many people to visit the city that time of year. It was simply that crowded.

The lab resembled a mansion, with two gargoyle-like statues out front. York stood in front of the lab, smiling up at it.

"Why're you standing there like a doofus?" Asked Sydney at the top of the steps leading to the door. "You're the one who wanted to come here!"

York ran up the steps and through the doors. Sydney walked in after him. All of the aides turned their attention to the young people who walked in, but only for a moment. One of the scientists approached the two.

"Hello, there." He said. "Can I help you kids?"

York beamed. "Yessir! We're looking for Professor Acher Richards!" He took an ID card from his wallet and handed it to the man. Sydney did the same.

"I see. He was expecting you two." The man handed them their cards. "Follow me."

As he guided them, they saw a few experiments being conducted on Pokémon, and others being cared for. They all seemed calm and happy in the lab. On the second floor, there were nothing but people. In the back was a set of three large monitors, and a single man sat before them all, typing swiftly.

A young woman stood next to him, looking up at the monitors. Her outfit contrasted greatly with that of the lab workers. Rather than business clothing covered by a lab coat, she wore casual clothing. She had on a black and white skirt and a white wool sweater. When the three approached and the footsteps grew louder, she turn to them, her curly pink hair spinning with her.

"Professor, you have guests." Said the aide. "It's the children from Mira Town that you were waiting for."

The man continued typing. "Thanks for bringing them in. You can get back to work."

Once the aide left them, he turned in the large swivel chair and crossed on of his gray khaki clad legs over the other, folding his hands in his lap and smiling at the two. The top buttons of his light blue business were undone and his black tie was loosened. His black half rim glasses were slightly crooked.

He fixed his glasses. "It's a pleasure to meet the two of you." He said. "Tell me, was your trip from Mira Town alright?"

"Yes, it was!" York happily replied. "There weren't any complications!"

Sydney put a hand on her hip and scowled at him. "What about the thing you wanted to check out last night? I heard police sirens outside the hotel."

"Huh? Oh yeah. Some woman got robbed and I caught the guy."

"Impressive!" Said the professor. "Have you had much experience battling?"

"No sure. To be honest, I think I just got lucky. His Pokémon was a perfect match for Colonel."

"Colonel? I assume that's your partner." York nodded. The professor leaned forward in his chair and looked at York's cheek. There was a small scar on it. "Did it have something to do with that?"

He touched his cheek and chuckled. "Yeah, he did that. It was a long time ago, though."

"What was it that you had for us, professor?" Sydney asked.

"Ah, yes." He turned to the young woman who was standing next to them. "Melanie, could you go fetch the supplies?"

"Sure thing." She began walking away from the three.

"Is she another one of your assistants?" York asked. "She does exactly looked dressed for this job."

"Melanie is a med student who training with IHPHA. She was assigned to a mission with the KDDF. Her companions are out right now."

Sydney bit her thumb. "The International Human & Pokémon Health Association… and the Kinsei Domestic Defense Force. I can kinda understand IHPHA sending someone to scope out a lab to make sure they aren't doing anything sketchy, but what about the KDDF? What do they want with you?"

"I'm just helping them out with something. There's absolutely nothing sketchy going on."

"If you say it like that, then it sounds a little sketch…" Sydney grumbled under her breath.

Melanie returned with a tray that held two PokéNav Pluses and a Pokédex*. While there were five different models of the Pokédex, the one on the tray was like a handheld video game console, red and black with two green buttons on the right side.

"Here are the things I wanted to give you. Go on, take 'em." Said the professor.  
The two reached for the PokéNavs, but didn't touch the Pokédex, and looked at each other instead.

Melanie looked at the two with a perplexed look. "Is there something wrong?"

"Actually, there kinda is." York looked back at the professor. "There's only one Pokédex here."

"I'm well aware. While PokéNav Pluses are pretty expensive, they can be bought. Pokédexes have to be made, and contain information on nearly all 719 known Pokémon. We can't give them out all willy nilly. We can only spare one for you two. That's the protocol that the higher ups gave us."

"Nearly all of them?" York inquired. "What do you mean?"

Melanie answered his question. "Pokémon like legendaries don't have concrete scientific information that people like Professor Richards can put in a Pokédex."

"And I swear that some of them are urban legends. Cubone's is complete nonsense, to name a few."

"You're the one going for the league." Sydney said. "You take it."

"You're looking to enter the Kinsei League Conference next July, right?" Asked Professor Richards as York picked up the Pokédex.

"Yeah."

"Then the Emeras Gym should be your first stop." He told them.

The two trainers looked at each other in silence for a moment, then to the professor.

"I'm busy here, so I can't show you where it is. Could you do that for me, Melanie?"

"Of course." She returned to plate and waited for York and Sydney by the elevator.

Once outside, Sydney punched York. "I can't believe you didn't know there was a gym here! I thought that we'd have to leave as soon as we arrived!" She patted the camera bag. "Now I'll be able to take some pictures of the area before we leave."

"Well, I'm sorry!" He retorted. "I always paid attention to my dad's battle during each League Conference, not the gyms he went to before then!"

"I'm not too sure that the Gym Leader is prepared at the moment." Melanie told the two. "The gym is supposed to be open right now, but she might have had something come up."

"Does she have another job or something?" Sydney asked.

"All Gym Leaders have second jobs. Most of the time, their gym acts as their workplace, too."

"Melanie, could you mark down the locations of the other gyms for me?" She nodded, and York noticed a red cross badge on her left arm. "Oh yeah, the professor said you were with IHPHA and that you were working with the KDDF. Where are the guys you came with?"

"Looking into the Hundred Eyes." She calmly told them.

The Hundred Eyes was the name of a notorious gang that operated worldwide. The name comes from a rumor stating that there are only one hundred members in the gang, with much of the work being done by hired thugs. They've operated for several decades, avoiding being completely snuffed out by authorities.

"Why do they need IHPHA and a Professor to deal with them?" Sydney asked. "Are they not confident in their own abilities? That's a little sad for the organization that exists for the sole purpose of protecting our region's citizens."

"It's not that simple. I barely know why they asked for me, actually. I'm doing this because once I return, I'll become an official IHPHA nurse." She looked up into the sky, speaking softly.

Some time later, she stopped in front of a building that had two Pokémon Statues. The building looked quite normal, but with the international Pokémon Gym symbol resting on top of it.

York looked up at the building. "What does the gym leader do, exactly?"

"She's a pet trainer. If a Pokémon is misbehaving, people bring them here and she disciplines them so they behave at home." Melanie explained. "Can you two handle yourselves from here?"

"We'll be fine." Sydney replied. "We'll just use our PokéNavs if we get lost or anything. They'll help us find our way. Thanks for brining us."

York thanked Melanie as well, and she left the two. York took a breath and walked towards the gym. He paused in front of the doors and pushed them open.

"Hello? If the Emeras Gym Leader is here, I'd like to battle her!"

Sydney punched his arm. "You don't go barging into a gym and ask for a battle like that, you dweeb!"

A young man approached the two. "Welcome. The gym leader, Aera, is here. She's busy though. Will the two of you be able to wait?"

York rubbed his arm. "Yeah… could you bring us to her? I'd like to see what she does."

The young man complied and brought the two past the lobby. Past it was a large room that seemed like a bit of an obstacle course or a playroom. There was various equipment set up all over it. In the center, a young woman with deep blue hair held a bone shaped treat high up. On the ground, a Growlithe was eagerly wagging it's tail, barking and jumping up towards it.

"Calm down Growlithe!" She ordered. Her voice was forceful. Upon hearing it, the small Pokémon calmed down a bit, but was still eager to get the treat. "If you sit, you get the treat. Roxie!" A slightly larger Growlithe who was resting stood up and walked over to her. "Sit, girl!" The Growlithe sat down and waited. She knelt down and gave the Pokémon the treat, patting her head. She then looked looked at the other Growlithe expectantly.

It hesitated for a moment and then sat down itself, looking quite nervous. She patted it's head and fed it a treat of it's own.

"That's a good boy! The treat was good, right?" It gleefully barked. "Exactly! Listening to your owner is a good thing, so do that, and you get a tasty treat, okay?"

York took Pawniard's Pokéball off of his belt and let him out. "There she is, Colonel. The first step in our journey to the top. Watch her closely." Colonel nodded and began focusing intensely on her.

Sydney sighed. "And how will seeing her train that pup help you in battle? Pokémon battling isn't anything like this. She might've gotten her Pokémon to obey her every word through something like this, but I don't see how that relates to battle tactics."

The two stood off to the side, watching as the small Growlithe was tested with basic commands and rewarded with a treat each time, occasionally having to have the older Growlithe set an example. After a few hours, the Growlithe and it's owners left. York and Colonel approached her.

"Ah, hello." She said. "Are you here because of your Pawniard?"

"No, miss." York replied. "Are you Aera?"

"Yes, I am." She smiled at him. "You're looking to challenge me to a battle, aren't you?" York nodded. Aera looked at him quizzically and circled around him. "How many Pokémon do you have, exactly?"

"O-only Colonel." He replied, a tad uneasy. "Is that a bad thing?"

Her expression grew a bit disappointed. "Gym Battles are three-on-three matches. You _could_ take me on with your Pawniard alone, but it would be tough. I'd recommend picking up another Pokémon or two. There aren't many more discouraging things a new trainer can go through than losing their first gym battle."

"I-I see. I'll see if I can catch another Pokémon then. Thank you for your advice." York turned to leave, but Aera stopped him.

"I specialize in Flying Types, by the way. You're going to want to keep that in mind when you look for your next team member."

"Thanks again!" Sydney followed him out and he let out an exasperated sigh. "Great. I was hoping I could get the badge already."

"You could try. She never said you couldn't. But this is probably for the best. You wouldn't last with just Colonel. I'm sure of it."

"Don't you have any faith in me?"

"Not really." She grabbed his arm. "Now that that's done, I'm going to go take some pictures with my new camera!"

"D-do I have to go with you?"

She tightened her grip on his arm significantly. "If you can break free, you don't have to."

"Ow, ow , ow! Alright, alright! If you wanted me to go along, you could just say so, Syd!" She twisted his arm. "Ow!"

*=ORAS Pokédex


	3. Chapter 3 - A Star is Born!

**Chapter 3: A Star is Born!**

Sydney dragged York to the outskirts of Emeras city to the north. When they were outside, she released his arm and he began rubbing it. Small grassland Pokémon were frolicking off in the distance. Young Deerling chased each other as a pair of Sawsbuck watched nearby. Wurmple, Weedle and Caterpie crawled in the tree branches, while Metapod, Kakuna, Silcoon and Cascoon hung from the branches on silk strings. Flying types circles overhead of the trees in the area, likely looking for food. Sentret and Furret carried food out from a hole in the wall leading into Emeras.

Sydney looked at all of the Pokémon in awe. She excitedly rushed over to the grass and ducked down to avoid being noticed and startling the Pokémon. She opened her camera bag and readied the equipment. York was off to the side, kneeling slightly in the grass, watching his friend work.

"She's really into this." York said with a smile. "I know that we're kinda on a time limit, but I'll try not to leave a city before she can take her fair share of pictures."

"York!" She quietly called over to him. "Let's see if we can get a closer look at the Deerling!" He nodded and the two began creeping towards the Deer Pokémon. "Do you think they'd be okay with Brush or Colonel joining in?"

"If it was just the Deerling, maybe. Their parents might not be too keen on the idea of some weird Pokémon playing with their kids."

Sydney frowned slightly, but her smile quickly returned. "Oh, well. Just having them in the shot is sure to be really nice!"

The two were now very close to the family of Pokémon. Sydney had previously focused on the playing Deerling, but now took pictures of the resting parents. While she was doing her best to stay undetected, one of the two Deerling grew curious of the sound of the shutter and began walking towards it.

"Syd!" York kept his voice down to avoid startling the Pokémon and potentially making the situation worse. "Get outta there!"

'I'll be fine!" She replied, keeping her eyes on the approaching Deerling. "Keep your cool, man!"

York reached into his pocket and took out his new Pokédex, pressing one of the buttons. The screen flashed and brought him to a menu with several options: National Pokédex, Search and Status. "I've heard that these things are only for biological and behavioral information. Maybe… Pokédex, how will a wild Sawsbuck react to a human it doesn't know?"

The button for the search option glowed and a short chime played. A circle began rotating and several seconds later, the circle disappeared. A circular, featureless blue face appeared in the corner and a picture of Sawsbuck appeared in the center of the screen. Various information filled the rest of the screen.

" _Like most Pokémon, Sawsbuck care greatly for their children. However, they are more docile and don't attack a mysterious figure unless it shows reason for them to act."_

"Good." York looked back at Sydney. "She should be fine. Unless they react badly to the camera." He heard the same chime he did after asking his first question. He looked down, but the same screen was present.

" _Sawsbuck occupy areas that are full of nature. Their opinion of technology such as cameras varies on how much they see them. Sawsbuck near highly industrialized areas avoid the city and thus see technology less and will react more aggressively."_

"This thing is really cool…" He looked at Sydney once more. "This place is right outside the city. I would guess that they won't mind."

One of the Deerling nudged the camera with it's nose and jumped back, caught off guard by such an hard feeling among grass. Sydney slowly rose up and the Deerling stared her down for a moment. The Sawsbuck did the same. After seeing that Sydney simply stood and showed no sign of acting, they cried. Afterwards, the Deerling began approaching her.

"They must have given their kids the okay to come near me." Sydney pointed the camera at them and took a picture. The two young Pokémon shook their heads after the flash met their eyes. Curious, the two began walking towards her again. As they did, she continued to take pictures of them.

York stood himself, having seen that Sydney was fine. "She should be okay on her own. Hey, Syd! I'll be in the area! Be sure to call me when you want to go back!"

"I'll do just that!" She ran over to the Sawsbuck and began talking to them as York went off on his own.

As he grew farther and farther from her he looked down at his Pokédex once more. "Are wild Pokémon capable of understanding human speech?"

" _All Pokémon understand human speech, wild and domesticated."_

"Hey, what Pokémon can I find out here?"

" _Pokémon that inhabit Route 2 north of Emeras City include the Deerling family, Caterpie and Metapod, Weedle and Kakuna, Wurmple, Silcoon and Cascoon, the Sentret family, Starly and the Spearow family. This applies to Route 3 east of Emeras City as well."_

"I'm left with only a few options for more party members to take to the gym. There are a lot of bug-types. I won't have much use for both of them on my journey. Same with Sentret; they're not the most dependable in terms of battles. I'll decide on either Starly or Spearow. Which one will be more useful on my journey?"

" _Species is often irrelevant, since enough hard work and dedication can make up for lack of strength. However, Spearow is known to be marginally stronger than Starly. Staraptor is marginally stronger than Fearow according to experiments conducting across the globe."_

"Hm… I'll keep an eye out for a Starly then. If species is irrelevant, then I'm fine with a Spearow too." York looked up in the sky near the trees where Flying-types had been before. They had disappeared since then. "Aw man…"

He began walking towards the trees in hopes of finding a Flying-type. He looked into the branches in hopes of finding a nest, or to see a Pokémon pecking at one of the bug types.

"Hey!"

Along with Sydney's scream, York heard a few cries from the Deerling. He turned to see Sydney running after something. He looked in the air and saw a Starly with her camera in it's beak.

"That's weird. What would a Starly want with a camera?" He took off after her and the Starly.

The other Pokémon in the area simply stared at the humans in awe. The Starly perched itself in a tree and set the camera on a branch. Sydney stood at the base of the tree, glaring up at it. York stood next to her, looking at the two.

"What do you think it wants?" He asked. "It took your camera for a reason."

As if it heard the two, the Starling Pokémon patted it's stomach with one of it's wings and pointed to it's now open beak. It glanced down at the two as it did this.

Sydney stomped the ground yelled. "You've got to be kidding me! You stole my camera because you wanted some food?!" The Pokémon nodded. "York, do something!"

"Starly are birds of prey. Why would it resort to getting a human's help for food?"

"Maybe it's just lazy. But then again, a Pokémon that relies on hunting for food being lazy doesn't seem likely. Is there some food we have that it wants?"

"I could think of a few." York took a step closer to the Starly. "Hey! If we get you some food, how about you come with us? You could eat all the nice food you want!" The Pokémon perked up but quickly pouted and turned away. "Huh? What happened?"

"So, we've established that's it's jealous of the food domesticated Pokémon eat. What else could it want?" Sydney looked around again. "There are some nice Pokémon around here. I'm sure plenty of trainers have tried to catch them. I think it's angry that you want it to come along for just food. No other Pokémon caught out here go that easily."

York nodded and looked up at the Starly again. "Alright then, how about we get you food and you give me a battle? And Sydney's camera?"

The Pokémon looked back at him and nodded, sitting closely to the camera as if to protect it.

"Now what?" York walked back over to Sydney. "What kind of food would a Starly want?"

"Who do we know that might have something?"

"The professor, most likely. But what about Aera? She gave that Growlithe treats for doing good. She must have those for all kinds of Pokémon, Starly included!"

"Good idea! You go get the food and make sure Colonel is ready for a fight." She looked up at the Starly, eyes full of anger. "I'll stay here and make sure it doesn't pull anything."

York sped back towards Emeras City while Sydney stood below the tree, eyes glued to the Starly. Sitting snugly next to the camera, the Starly did the same. The two of them watched each other without making a move or a sound.

"I knew that Pokémon were intelligent beings, but I didn't know they'd go so far as to take advantage of humans to get what they want. York better not screw up and catch you. Other people don't need something like you in the wild ruining their day." The Starly began flapping it's wings, working up a violent gust in an attempt to knock Sydney over. She stood her ground and gave it a cocky grin. "A little thing like you will have to work a lot harder to take me down!" It took the camera strap in it's beak and dangled it over the branch, one simple movement away from a drop guaranteed to damage if not break it. "W-whoa! Calm down a bit! Remember, you break my camera, you don't get your food!" It put the camera back on the branch, and Sydney let out a sigh of relief. "Geez..."

The Starly waited on the branch, keeping its eye on Sydney. As she took two Pokéballs out of her bag, it began moving away from the camera and spread it's wings, ready to dive bomb her at any second. From the balls came a Minccino and a Ditto. It took off from the branch and flew towards the three at a great speed.

The Ditto waddled in front of its path and transformed, taking on it's form. The Starly stopped in it's tracks, perplexed at the Pokémon's sudden change in appearance. It tilted it's head to the right, and Ditto mirrored it. It tilted it's head to the left and Ditto mirrored it again. Each and every move it made was imitated by Ditto. It's fascination made it forget all about Sydney and the Minccino.

"That's enough, Copy." Sydney ordered as she put her camera around her neck. The Minccino stood on her shoulder, waving. Starly stared at them, dumbstruck, and turned it's gaze to Ditto as it returned to its original form. "You did good." She patted the Minccino's head. "You too, Brush. And you, don't look so down! You'll still get food."

The Starly retreated to its branch and angrily turned around, back facing Sydney and her Pokémon. She took two containers out of her bag and opened them. The smell caught Starly's attention and it saw her holding two small confections, both white. Her Pokémon happily took them from her hands and stuffed them into their mouths. The Starly looked on jealously, but turned away from them again.

"Syd! I got the food!" Upon hearing these words, the Starly eagerly turned around and saw York with a container of his own in his hand. "You… got your camera? Brush and Copy help you out?"

"Yeah. Hey, bird, dinner's here!" The Starly landed in front of them and opened it's mouth wide. "Why do you have a full container?"

He took out two white confections and knelt down towards the Starly. "If I was going to catch this little thing, I'd need a whole container of Pokémon food. That's what Area said." Holding them in front of the Starly, it plucked them from his hand and gobbled them down. "Satisfied?" He gleefully nodded. "Ready for the battle you promised me?" The Starly flew away from him and flapped its wings confidently. York put the container in his backpack and took Colonel's Pokéball off of his belt. "Alright!"

He pressed the button on the ball, and his partner emerged, brandishing the blades that were its hands.

"Let's start things off with Night Slash, Colonel!"

A dark aura surrounded his arms and it charged the Starly. Copies of the Starly began appearing and surrounding Colonel, making him stop dead in his tracks. The Aura on it's arms faded and it appeared to have moved slightly. All of the copies disappeared and the real Starly flew back.

"What?" A shocked Sydney chuckled and smiled. "I've never seen Aerial Ace used against something that used Double Team. I wouldn't have expected it to work like that."

The Starly got up and charged towards Pawniard at full speed. It rammed into him and pushed him back a ways, shaking it's head and wobbling a bit afterwards.

"Let's try Night Slash one more time!"

The dark aura surrounded his arms once more and ran. Starly took to the sky and made a u-turn, speeding towards the ground. Before it touched down, it made a sharp turned and made it's way right for Colonel.

"Brave Bird, huh?" Murmured York. "That's quite the attack, but for a Pokémon like Colonel, it shouldn't be too bad. Tank it and finish the job with Night Slash!"

"Finish the job? Aerial Ace, the Take Down recoil and the Brave Bird would have taken a toll on it. It might be enough or a Night Slash to take it down, but…"

Starly crashed into Colonel and sent him flying. It landed on the ground with a large thud and got up shakily. Colonel stood and looked at the Starly for a moment before looking back at York.

He took a Pokéball off of his belt and threw it at the Starly. The capsule absorbed it in a red light and began shaking. The ball ceased it shaking a few moments later.

"Awesome!" York ran over to Colonel and gave him a high five, then the two hurried over to the Pokéball that was in the grass. "A new team member! This is pretty exciting!"He immediately let the Pokémon out and it fell over onto its rear. "Pretty tired, are you?"

Sydney joined them all, Brush and Copy still with her. She held a potion in her hand. "Hold still." She sprayed the potion and Starly winced as the spray enveloped it's body. "Feeling better? "It stood and did a few stretches. "I'll take that as a yes." She looked at York. "Make sure she behaves."

"She? What makes you say that. It could be a guy." Once again he took out his Pokédex. "What gender is Starly?"

The same searching screen appeared, and was followed by a picture of two Starly.

" _Male Starly have more white on their foreheads than their female counterparts. Judging by this Starly's appearance, it is a female."_

"Alright, it's a girl." Said York as he put the Pokédex away. "In that case, I'll call you Star."

"A little too general, don't you think?" Sydney returned her Pokémon to their Pokéballs. "I mean, it could be a more unique name."

Star hopped onto York's shoulder. "Says the person with a Ditto named Copy. If you're done taking pictures, let's head back."

"I'm not done yet! I was only able to get pictures of the Deerling and their parents! We'll have to stay out a little longer!"

York sighed and sat against the tree Star was perched earlier. "Alright, then. Have fun, Syd. We'll be waiting for you over here."

'Fine then. Just sit tight, I'll try to wrap things up soon." Sydney went off, leaving York with his two Pokémon. Star playfully pecked at York while Colonel began attacking the tree.


	4. Chapter 4 - Vs Emeras Gym Leader Aera

**Chapter 4: Vs. Emeras Gym Leader Aera**

York sat outside if the Emerald Sky Hotel with Sydney. He intertwined his fingers and looked down at the ground. Sydney was looking up at the sky. Star was perched on the edge of the bench, and Copy turns into various Pokémon it saw walking by.

"This… Is a problem." York finally said.

"I mean, there are other hotels and stuff in the city."

York looked over at his friend. "You really want to stay in some crappy motel?"

"If it comes down to it." She said with a sigh. "If you didn't decide to stay at such an expensive hotel yesterday, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"I'm sorry."

"Hey, Star," She looked at her. The Pokémon looked at her and then turned away. Sydney glowered at her. "Stubborn bird. Either you help York win so we can leave today."

"To make it worse, we have to buy camp supplies."

"You're right." Sydney looked into the road. "At least we have Colonel. He'll make this easy."

Upon hearing her words, Star sat down next York, an angry look on her face.

Her trainer rubbed her head. "There's nothing to be upset about, Star. You'll do just fine." He stood and stretched. Star flew onto his shoulder. "You wanna go get our camp stuff so we can leave as soon as I'm done?"

"Nah, I'll watch. It's your first gym battle after all." She got off of the bench. "Copy, we're leaving." It stopped transforming and leapt onto her hand, sliding up her arm until resting on her shoulder.

"Hey, Syd?"

"What is it?"

"When we went in earlier, you got angry at me for shouting out. What should I do this time to avoid that?"

She crossed her arms. "Do you have to ask? Go up to someone and ask like a civilized human being!"

"Okay, I'll do just that."

* * *

York stood nervously in front of the gym. Sydney looked at him and sighed. "What's the matter? Nervous? Or maybe you think you're going to screw up the battle request again."

"Actually, I am."

She rubbed her temples. "Come on!"

She grabbed his wrist and marched inside. She pushed him towards the young man who was working behind a desk. York walked up to him and cleared his throat.

"Excuse me, sir. I'd like to battle the Gym Leader. Is she available at the moment?"

"Of course." He stepped away from the desk. "This way, please." The two followed him to the back of the gym, where Aera was on the ground playing with her Growlithe. "Gym leader, you have a challenger."

"Oh?" She stood up. "I see you're back. That was quick."

"I know, but we're kinda in a hurry." He explained.

"Okay, then. Let's head to the battlefield then."

The group of four went to the back where a large battlefield was. York stood at one end of the battlefield. Sydney sat down on a bench, and the man stood between the two.

There was a number pad on the wall and Aera inputted a code. A panel opened, with 12 Pokéballs on it.

"How many badges do you have right now?" She asked.

"Huh? Oh, this will be my first one!"

"Got it!" She took three of them from the rack and inputted another code. The rack closed and she walked over to the opposite side of the field.

"This battle will be three on three!" Announced the man. "It will end when either side is out of usable Pokémon or one side resigns! Both sides can substitute Pokémon as they please! Begin!"

York glanced at Star. "Want to give it a try?" She nodded eagerly and flew off of his shoulder.

"Come on out, Swablu!" Aera tossed a Pokeball and the small blue pokemon emerged, flapping its white cotton wings. "Let's start this off with Round!"

The small pokemon opened it's mouth and began singing at an extreme volume. Star stopped flapping to cover her ears and fell to the ground. York and Sydney covered their eyes as well. Copy was busy dancing on the bench.

When the singing stopped, Aera and the referee seemed unfazed.

"Ah…!" Exclaimed Sydney. "That hurt! How are you two okay after that?"

"After you hear it so much, you get used to it." Replied a proud Aera, a hand on her hip. "Swablu, now use Fury Attack!"

The pokemon dived towards her and she took to the sky. It reared up and began pursuing her.

"Star!" Called York." Double Team!"

At his command, several shadows formed around her. She circled around and went straight for her opponent. The Starly that Swablu collided with vanished and she rammed into it from behind.

"Brave Bird!"

She turned sharply and began to dive. When turned sharply toward the ground and sped towards Swablu, which remained on the ground. It took a deep breath and used Round once more. The high pitched shrill made Star lose her focus and fall onto the ground. Swablu flew over to her and used to Fury Attack it had missed previously.

York shifted on his feet. "Star!" She swatted Swablu away and shook her head. "Are you alright?" She put up a wing in reassurance. "Good! If you can keep going, use Take Down!"

"You too, Swablu!"

The two pokemon rammed into each other and knocked each other back. Swablu charged again, but Star used Double Team again. All of the Starlys dove down towards Swablu, which stood in fear of the mass of pokemon heading straight for it. Upon impact, there was a large cloud of smoke.

Aera called into the cloud. "Swablu!" There was no response. When the cloud cleared, Star stood next to Swablu, which lay unconscious.

She held a pokeball towards Swablu and the red light enveloped and returned it to its capsule.

"You did good. Togetic, let's finish what Swablu started!" She tossed her second pokeball and as she said, a Togetic emerged. "Use Fairy Wind!"

Togetic began waving it's arm, and a breeze began blowing. It grew stronger and stronger, until it blew her back. She hit the ground hard and laid unconscious.

"Star!" York returned her to her pokeball. "You did really for for your first battle." She sent out Colonel, who brandished his blade arms. "It's up to you, pal."

"It's your Pawniard." Noted Aera. "It might be a problem. But Togetic might be able to handle it. Sweet Kiss, Togetic!"

The Fairy-Type Pokemon began flying towards Colonel, who dodged out of the side. His arms began shining and he lunged at Togetic. His strike threw it to the ground. It got up and gave Colonel a charming look, stopping him in his tracks.

"Ignore it, Colonel! Keep using Metal Claw!"

He shook his head and kept up his attack on Togetic. The flying Pokemon used it's ability to fly to it's advantage. As Togetic showed signs of defeat, Aera sighed.

"I wasn't expecting a novice to use a Steel-Type. Togetic wasn't too effective. Alright, Togetic, use Yawn! We'll take him out while he dozes off!"

Togetic flew in front of Colonel and opened it's mouth. A large yawn enveloped Colonel and it began wobbling. He lashed out and Togetic was sent flying back.

"You did good, Togetic!" Aera held the unconscious Togetic's pokeball and returned it. "Butterfree, let's finish this!"

The butterfly pokemon emerged from its capsule and began flapping it's wings, looking down at its opponent from the sky.

"This is it." Said Aera. "I hope you won't mind when you lose."

"I won't! Colonel, let's- huh?" York looked towards Colonel, who had fallen over onto his back. "Oh, crap. Colonel, wake up, buddy!"

York's calls did nothing, and Colonel lay on the ground, continuing to sleep. Butterfree landed on the ground and walked over to him. When it arrived, it began nudging him.

"Come one!" Shouted York. "Now you're just rubbing salt in the wound!"

"York, calm down!" Called Sydney from the sidelines. "You have a pokedex, don't you?! Use it!"

York pulled out his Pokedex as she said. "What moves can Butterfree use are harmful to Pawniard?"

Like earlier outside of Emeras, the pokedex searched, and eventually a picture of Butterfree appeared, the blue featureless face in the corner and a list off to the side.

" _All of the moves Butterfree can learn naturally are rather harmless to Pawniard. Silver Wind and Bug Buzz are the most dangerous. Moves learned by Technical Machines are also rather harmless."_

"Hear that?" Sydney asked. "There's nothing to worry about!"

"I feel better. Colonel!"

Butterfree flew up into the air and began flapping it's wings. A silver colored wind began battering Colonel, pushing him around.

"Colonel!"

The Pokemon opened his eyes and jumped up. He shook his head. He stared Butterfree down, and appeared to have teleported, having moved slightly. Butterfree fell out of the sky. He began charging at Butterfree.

"Night Slash!" A Dark Aura surrounded his arms and he lunged at Butterfree.

Butterfree flew up and used Silver Wind again. In retaliation, Colonel used Aerial Ace again, and Butterfree plummeted. He followed up with Night Slash, and Butterfree fainted.

"The battle goes to the challenger!" Yelled the referee.

Aera returned Butterfree. "You just weren't ready for him, I guess. I'll make sure to reward you all later." She returned to the number pad and returned the pokeballs. She closed the rack, and a small panel ejected from the wall.

"Your reward." She handed him a badge shaped like a butterfly. "It's the Highfly Badge. Your first step towards the Kinsei League."

"Thank you!" He looked At Colonel. "We did it!" The two high fived. "The Highfly Badge is mine!"

"You know where the other gyms are, right?"

"Yeah, I do. Thank you for the battle."

"Anytime. It's my job after all." She noticed York glancing at the wall. "There's no need to worry. IHPHA installed healing machines into our walls to heal our pokemon whenever we return them. Well, York, good luck on your journey."

"Huh?" He chuckled. "You know my dad, right?"

"Yeah, we both work for the IPCTA. Don't be surprised if other people recognize you." She told him. "Good luck on the road."

Sydney stood from the bench and the two left the gym.

* * *

They exited the Pokemon Center, each carrying an extra bag. These bags were full of camping supplies that the two would use on their trip to their next destination. According to Melanie, the closest gym was in Aeren Town, to the east.

"I'm going to try to get Star some training while we're on the road." York said.

"Good luck with that, man." She looked up at the sky. The sun was starting to set. "We should start going. We could get out of the city a ways and set up camp."

"Alright." He began walking towards the east gate. "Let's get going!" Sydney followed after him.


End file.
